Will You Be My
by Kirishtu
Summary: Desmond gives Shaun the biggest scare of his life. Shaun gets his revenge in a rather pleasurable way. Oneshot


Originally published on aff 2010-08-08

Shaun wasn't surprised to find himself alone with Desmond. The girls often left him with the comatose assassin-to-be when Desmond was doing minor memories with Ezio. Finding feathers, beating up cheating husbands – whatever wasn't part of the main memory line received little attention. Desmond only received an audience when he started a major assassination or Leonardo da Vinci appeared beyond translating Codex pages. Shaun pushed his glasses closer to his eyes, watching the video feed of Ezio slowly scaling a tower for a minute before resuming his work. The important work. Not that he'd admit Desmond's work was important as well. Finding the Codex and whatever else Lucy was after would help the Brotherhood far more than an online database.

Another glance was cast at the feed as a hapless guard went flying to his death below.

Shaun pinched the bridge of his nose. He wasn't the most likeable of people. He picked on Desmond because Desmond was an easy target. He was unconscious for hours, learning how to be a killer like his ancestors, hunting down every last piece of the puzzle they were faced with. Most of the time, Shaun could get the younger man staring at him stupidly, those gold-brown eyes focused on his face as he puzzled out the insult. Lately, though, Desmond's stares had become more calculating. His eyes had a tendency to unfocus, but Shaun knew Desmond could see him, even if Rebecca called him on daydreaming. Even if Desmond was nowhere near Altair's or Ezio's mastery, his stare certainly made Shaun's skin crawl.

Shaun frowned at the sudden sound of an alarm. It didn't sound like the warehouse alarm. Didn't sound like the alarm that would summon the girls. Shaun glanced at the video feed monitoring Desmond.

"Shit!"

Shaun launched himself from his seat toward the Animus, listening to the wail of the de-synchronization alarm drone on. It should've stopped minutes ago, with Ezio synched into the last memory he'd completed. But the screen was still blaring red and the alarm was still going.

"Desmond!" Shaun was at the other man's side, removing the probe that was embedded in his arm. The wailing abruptly ceased. "Desmond! Wake up!"

Shaun felt himself hit flight or fight mode. Desmond wasn't breathing. He felt for a pulse – cursed, because there wasn't one. The Brit hauled Desmond from the Animus and to the floor, precious seconds ticking away. He began compressions, unable to spend the time looking for a defibrillator.

"Come on, Desmond!" Shaun hissed, leaning to force air into the darker man's inert lungs. He began compressions again, heart beating a mile a minute where his counterpart's wasn't beating at all. Shaun continued to curse in between breaths, resorting to harder compressions despite the fact he might crack ribs. "Come on, you stupid git," Shaun growled, mouth at Desmond's again. "Breathe, dammit!"

Desmond's eyes flew open, burning gold. He surged up, coughing harshly, as if he'd been drowning. Shaun sat back, panting, hand on the younger man's shoulders to steady him. Slowly, Desmond's head turned toward Shaun, eyes focusing on the redhead's face.

Shaun studied those gold eyes with a frown. "Desmond?"

A string of Arabic left Desmond's mouth as he reached for Shaun. The redhead caught the name 'Malik' before Desmond hugged him tightly. Shaun's cheeks heated. He reacted a moment later, pushing Desmond to arm's length. "Desmond."

Those gold eyes stared at him. He cursed. "Altair."

Desmond's mouth opened. Arabic poured out. "Malik?" came the soft question, when Shaun failed to reply.

Shaun cursed. He knew what this was – a side effect from the Animus, part of the Bleeding Effect. But the Bleeding Effect shouldn't have Desmond-Altair seeing Malik in Shaun's place.

"Desmond, snap out of it. Wake up."

Altair-Desmond stared back at him, confused with English just as Shaun couldn't understand Arabic.

"Malik, what's wrong with you?"

Shaun rubbed at his temples. Altair was bilingual. He had to be, so he could communicate with the English-speaking Templars. "Nothing, Altair. Nothing's wrong."

Desmond's eyes narrowed slightly. "You save me from drowning, and then you remain silent."

Shaun blinked. Had the trauma from Ezio's fall knocked Desmond back into Altair's memory or was there something else going on?

"Just marveling how a master like you never learned to swim."

Altair-Desmond's eyes were blank, twin chips of amber. Shaun rose, hauling up on Desmond. He was unsteady on his feet, which suited the Brit just fine. He pulled the assassin-to-be out of the main room, down the hall to the bathroom. Altair-Desmond said nothing, though he looked extremely confused at whatever he was seeing. Shaun wondered if Malik had ever done what he was about to do.

They entered the bathroom. Shaun reached into the shower stall and pulled on the knob, starting the water. He turned the dial until the water was balls-shriveling frigid. Then he unceremoniously shoved Desmond beneath the spray.

"Shit!" Desmond howled, scrabbling for the dial and turning it until the water was lukewarm at best. Brown eyes glowered at the red-haired man that stood just out of reach. "What the fuck Shaun!"

"Welcome back to reality, Desmond. Did you enjoy your little trip down memory lane?"

Shaun would've enjoyed the look on Desmond's face had the darker man not looked like he wanted to be sick. "What did I do?"

"Oh, nothing. Altair just thought I was the Dai, Malik. He was… rather appreciative, if you know what I mean."

Desmond's cheeks flushed. Shaun's gaze flicked over Desmond's soaked clothing. "Get out of those."

"You can't tell Lucy."

Shaun paused, listening to Desmond strip off his clothing. "I have to."

"Please, you can't."

Desmond sounded desperate. "The Bleeding Effect is dangerous, Desmond. You didn't channel Ezio, you were Altair. You were living as Altair, seeing me as Malik. That's incredibly dangerous, understand?"

Desmond was silent. Shaun turned to face the younger man and jumped, finding Desmond right behind him, naked, dripping water everywhere. He hadn't even heard Desmond move.

"You can't tell Lucy." Desmond said softly. "I need to trust you on this, Shaun."

Shaun's throat worked. "Then you have to tell me when it happens. As soon as it happens."

Desmond nodded. Shaun bit back a curse as his body started to respond to Desmond's closeness. Those brown eyes were studying him, and then Desmond reached for a towel.

Shaun caught his wrist. "Why did Altair see me as Malik?"

Desmond looked up at Shaun. "They were lovers."

"I thought Altair and Maria…" Desmond's skin felt slick under Shaun's fingers. His grip tightened slightly.

"They were, too." Desmond looked a little uncomfortable. Good. "But Maria never had Altair's heart. He loved her, but he belonged to Malik. Same with Ezio and Leonardo. Every Assassin in my bloodline had their… I don't know… soulmate. Their other half, the one person they'd do anything for. And I think that's why I saw you as Malik."

Shaun couldn't think of anything to say. Desmond had confessed something that was a dangerous secret, and the historian didn't know how to react. Desmond started to pull away, and Shaun tightened his grip. "You're serious?" Shaun asked, and the question wasn't about the Assassins of the past.

Desmond's honey eyes flicked up to the Brit's face. "Yes."

Shaun shifted so abruptly that Desmond had no time to react. He felt Shaun's lips against his, those clothed hips against his naked ones, and that bruising grip around his wrist. Desmond kissed back, fighting for control, for dominance. He should've won, but Shaun's free hand went in between Desmond's legs and wrapped around his half-erect cock. The soon-to-be-Assassin nearly crumbled, grasping onto the historian before him to steady himself.

"How long?" Shaun asked huskily, stroking Desmond into a complete erection.

"Roma." Came Desmond's husky reply. Shaun was pleased that the younger man's voice hadn't changed in the slightest.

The redhead spun them, pressing Desmond's backside against the sink as he sank to his knees, kissing at tanned skin as he went down. Desmond's cock begged for attention and Shaun obliged. Desmond let out a soft moan as Shaun took him into his mouth and began to suck. Desmond was silent, which was a disappointment but practical. Shaun nudged Desmond's legs apart after freeing himself from the confines of his dress pants and let his fingers explore the darker man's silky inner thighs, upwards until he found what he wanted. Then he pushed two dry digits into Desmond.

"Shaun!" Desmond hissed.

"Relax, Desmond." Shaun replied with a soft chuckle. "I'll make it better."

Desmond's fingers flexed around the counter's edge. "Couldn't you at least use some lube or something? Even Malik wasn't that cruel."

"So Malik was on top, hm?"

Desmond blushed and shuddered at some memory. Shaun smirked and began to move his fingers in and out of that tight passage. "Was that one of your hallucinations?"

"I'm not telling you." Desmond panted, his head falling forward slightly as Shaun continued to assault his body with touches.

"I'm sure I can guess what the Dai did to Altair." Shaun rose and stripped from his clothing. Desmond watched, a wary look in his eyes. Shaun smirked and spun Desmond around, so they could see each other's faces in the bathroom mirror. Shaun pressed the head of his erection to Desmond's hole, taking hold of Desmond's right arm – the one that held the hidden blade – and pulled it behind his back. As he pushed into tight heat, Shaun whispered, "He made Altair helpless. Made him pliant to his every whim just to show Altair how much power the Assassin gave him. Just to show Altair that he wasn't alone in their struggle."

Desmond couldn't contain his moan as Shaun became fully seated inside him. "Shaun…"

"I'm a dick, Desmond." Shaun whispered as he pulled out and thrust back in, slowly, leisurely. "I'll always be a dick. But God damn me to hell if I didn't want you more than ever."

Desmond bucked back against Shaun and the Brit picked up his pace, all but slamming himself into the younger man's willing body. The only sounds came from their harsh breathing, Desmond's whimpers, and Shaun's groans at Desmond's increasing tightness. Then Desmond let out a low cry as he came suddenly, and Shaun had no choice but to follow his lover over the edge. He leaned against Desmond's sweaty back, purring as he withdrew. Desmond slumped, eyes closed, panting.

Shaun smirked. "Shower?"

Desmond looked at him and smirked. After a few more hours of fooling around under the lukewarm spray of water, the men groped (not each other) their way back to the main room. Shaun sat before his computer once more as Desmond headed for the bed, not wanting to touch the Animus until Rebecca had a chance to look at it.

The tapping of keys soon filled the silence.

"Hey, Shaun?"

"Yes, Desmond?"

There was a sigh at the annoyed tone. "When I hallucinate as Ezio, will you be there to be my Leonardo?"

There was a long, pregnant silence.

"Go to sleep, Desmond."


End file.
